I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant
by Degrazzi
Summary: Sometimes, the universe has a sick sense of humor. In Clare's case, the humor consisted of an almost symptomless pregnancy and the arrival of a child that she didn't even know she was carrying. Rated M for language and content.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This story is named after the television show, "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant." It is not a one-shot, but a chapter story that I will update as often as I can. This first chapter is an epilogue of sorts. It is Eclare-centric, and will deal with mature themes, such as sexual abuse, bipolar disorder, sex, pre-marital sex and pregnancy, depression, and more. If these subjects are triggering or uncomfortable for you, I'd suggest not reading this fanfiction. This story will not be like most Eclare fanfictions where children are involved, so please disregard your pre-conceived opinion of all pregnancy/baby fanfiction. This won't be clichéd or corny in the least (I hope,) but as realistic as I can possibly make it. Review/subscriptions and favorites are so very much appreciated, but I hate review-beggars, so I will not pressure all of you. I would like at least one piece of feedback for each chapter; one review is enough incentive to continue! That is all I ask of you, fair viewers.**

**Now let us embark on an AU, Eclare future journey, shall we? Flashbacks **_**are italicized. **_

Streetlights shone brightly over the bustling campus, lighting the way for frantic students to rush to their dorm rooms and cram their every belonging into suitcases, in preparation for move-out day. Couples walked hand in hand, stealing kisses and hugs, giggling wildly whilst retelling the best moments of their year, and hoping for equally exciting moments in the coming years. Most NYU students spent their night relishing in the final moments of university life before it was their time to retreat home to family and friends, to settle into their summer apartments in the heart of the Big Apple, or to embark on trips around the world, squandering away their savings for unforgettable summer experiences.

One student, however, spent his night the exact same way that he'd spent every night for over two months of his college experience; buried under the sheets of his bunk, the blanket pulled up over his head, drowning in self-pity, perspiration and elusive tears.

One may be compelled to ask the question, 'why?' Why is such an intelligent, attractive young man so sad? Why is he wasting his college years cuddled up in a lumpy, dorm-room bed? Who did this to him?

The answer to that last question is simple; Eli Goldsworthy, regrettably, did this to himself. He caused his own downfall, which is probably why no amount of consoling will ease him out of his axiomatic funk.

_FLASHBACK_

_A phone rang next to him, startling Eli awake from a deep, drunken slumber and transporting him to a hung-over half-consciousness. As his awareness grew, he shot up from an unfamiliar bed, running his hands anxiously up and down his __**bare**__ thighs. His gaze was fixed on his scarcely illuminated, nude form as he tried to piece together the happenings of the previous night. A fifth of rum, music, laughing… The memories were vague, but not nearly specific enough to explain his nudity and whereabouts. _

"_Hello?"_

_A dim light shone in front of him and a female voice rang out in the darkness. _

_A girl. He was in bed with a girl. A stranger._

_Not his girlfriend. Not his Clare, but a strange college girl. _

_As his mind started to wrap around his circumstances, Eli realized that he'd made Clare's worst nightmare come true. All of his promises of fidelity and commitment were for naught, and he'd proven her insecurities about university life to be reasonable. Without any recollection of the event, Eli had executed a heinous act against the love of his life, an act that she would never forgive him for. His life, in those moments, seemed irreparably shattered._

_There was a subtle voice in his head told him that he could push the memory deep into the vault of his mind, pretend that he'd never gone to the party, pretend that the hook-up girl did not exist, and just go home, back to his dorm, call Clare and tell her that he loved her more than life itself. The voice, that devil-on-his-shoulder, promised safety and security, a pair of warm, soft arms to go home to over summer vacation, and a loving, kind woman to keep close for the rest of his life. _

_As tempting as it was, Eli knew that he couldn't keep such a horrid thing from her. The angel-on-his-shoulder urged honesty and he couldn't ignore it. The angel was Clare, and Clare would want to know the truth, he knew that of her. She'd had been through so much, and he hated to put her through more emotional turmoil, but he just __**couldn't**__ keep a secret of such caliber from her. The guilt would eat away at him for the rest of his life, pushing him away from her regardless, and creating an abyss of unspoken demons between them that would tear and rip them apart._

_Eli had put them into a lose-lose situation; a situation that he couldn't blame on his bipolar disorder, his anxiety, his homesickness or anything else. He couldn't blame the alcohol or the party-throwers for his poisonous mistake._

_Eli was the only individual at fault. And he would have to own up to his err, even if it cost him his world._

_He gathered his clothing off of the floor and put it on quickly, avoiding the gaze from his one-night-stand's eyes and rushed from the room. Shakily, he fished from his cell phone from his jean pocket and dialed the number that would forever be engraved into his mind._

"_I fucked up. Clare, I really fucked up."_

It was the beginning of the last conversation that Eli had with the girl, and assumedly the last one they would ever share. He could remember so clearly the anguish in her voice after he told her of his drunken nightmare.

"_I gave you everything, and you threw it all away so you could have sex with a __**drunk **__girl!? How could you do this to me, Eli? How could you throw me away so easily? After… After my internship and everything fell apart, you were the only thing that made me feel safe. And I was so scared, but I still wanted t-to make love to you before you left, even though he hurt me so much… I gave you everything, because you promised forever…After everything we've been through… this is how it ends? I-I- I hate you! I hate you, Eli and please, if you ever cared about me in the slightest… don't call me. Leave me alone… I hope she was worth it."_

He sank deeper into his cradle and tried, with no success, to push away the memories that seemed to attack without warning.

The count was 73 days… 73 days since he'd last heard her honeyed voice. 73 days since he'd enjoyed one of their morning Skype calls, where he would tease her about sleep-messed curls and she would mock his morning voice.

One day was torture to him; 73 days killed him.

A quiet click of a door shook him from his reverie and was followed by boisterous sigh from the intruder.

"Dude, it's the last day. Can't you crawl out of your pity hole for this one, small occasion? I mean, it is end of year party central and you're just collecting grease from under that fucking blanket. Man-"

"-fuck off, Eric." Eli groaned, flipping onto his stomach and inhaling the foul stench of his mattress. He winced and flipped back over to his back, his blanket falling off of his face in the process. Instead of staring up at the ceiling, he was greeted by the mischievous face of his roomie.

"Get out of bed, or I'm calling that Clare girl and telling her that I just watched you partake in a drunken orgy."

Eli shot up at the mention of her name and gave Eric his worst glare. "Don't bring her up, dickhead. And I'm not going to any of your stupid parties."

"Calm your panties, Goldsworthy. It's your loss. But at least pack your shit up because I'm not doing it for you." Eric threw a duffle bag at the sweaty boy and chuckled, "You're really pathetic, man. Do you think that girl is lying in her bed, crying over you? Doubt it."

* * *

"Clare, you can't stay in bed all day." Jake lectured, pulling the blanket off of his step-sister in one swift motion and throwing it to the floor, "What's going on?"

Clare curled up painful and shook her head. "My back is killing me! Leave me alone!" She cried out, clutching onto the bed sheet and trying to push away the extreme feeling of discomfort throughout her lower body.

Katie Matlin walked in and sat next to Clare on the bed, rubbing her back sweetly. "Where does it hurt exactly?"

Katie and Clare developed a sisterly relationship after the older girl formed a relationship with Jake. They managed to put aside any differences that they had from Degrassi, and form an impenetrable bond that no man or woman could break. They were two peas in an intelligent, independent pod and not even the wit and charm of Jake Martin could best them. And as a sister figure to Clare, Katie was more than a bit panicked over the younger girl's agony.

Katie tried her best to comfort Clare while Jake nervously scanned the medicine cabinet for anything that could appease his sister's discomfort.

Sobs caught in the back of Clare's throat and she let out a scream of pure torture.

"Jake!" Katie screamed to her boyfriend, "Jake! We need to take her in! This isn't normal!"

Clare gripped onto her friend's hand and felt her face coating with salty tears. "Please, please make it stop!"

"Jake!"

* * *

The familiar tone of _Tunnels _rang through Eli's dorm room and he stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the offending object from his spot in the closet. The phone illuminated his dark décor and he knew that a call was coming through, despite his prior mentality that it was a twisted figment of his imagination. That song was _Clare's _ringtone.

His heart thudded uncomfortably in his chest as he walked over to his bed. He stared down at the object and saw, "Clare Edwards" lit up on the screen. He snatched up the phone and pressed the green button before he could second guess himself.

"Hello?" He croaked. His voice came out weak and surprised, and he mentally berated himself as he waited for a response. What if it was a butt-dial? What if it was a prank? He didn't think he could survive if she was so over him that she would prank him in such a cruel way.

"Eli? This is Jake. Something is really wrong with Clare."

* * *

His phone was dead. His phone had died 15 minutes after he left campus in a panic. After 9 hours in the car, with no contact or news about the girl he was still undoubtedly in love with, with his mind on one thing and one thing only, he felt completely disoriented as he rushed through the doors of Toronto General Hospital.

"Clare Edwards! Where is she? Where is Clare?"

A nurse gave him a floor number and Eli sprinted away without listening to another word from the woman's mouth. He could feel his own heart beating in his ears and he rushed up the stairs without regard for any other person on the staircase. When he reached her floor, he looked around frantically and spotted Katie Matlin standing outside of a room. He ran as fast as he could past the girl and into the room that he assumed was Clare's.

The door slammed against the wall behind it and the inhabitants, including his ex-girlfriend, stared at him. Immediately, Clare began shaking her head and sobbing, refusing to make any sort of eye contact with the boy.

"I-I didn't know, Eli. I swear I didn't know. I didn't know." She cried out. Her mother walked over to her and wrapped her arms around the shaking girl.

Eli couldn't comprehend what was happening. The entire room looked somber, but Clare seemed completely fine in a physical sense. He didn't know why she was addressing him. What didn't she know?

Suddenly, the door opened up behind him. Eli whipped around and was face to face with a jolly-looking nurse. She was wheeling in a small, box-like pink… crib?

Eli leaned forward and couldn't control the gasp that escaped his mouth as he peered at the small baby in the crib.

"No… No, no, no… Clare? Is this-no, it can't- I can't- Clare?"

He looked at her desperately and saw a look of both defeat and exhaustion on her tear-stained face. Her voice came out in a harsh whisper.

"I really didn't know."

**A/N Any comments, questions or concerns? I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! If you are so inclined, please leave a bit of feedback. Thank you.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Thank you all so much for the great feedback on the first chapter! I was floored by the response and definitely motivated to write another chapter! One correction about the last chapter: it was supposed to be a prologue, not an epilogue. Thank you to RRsabi for bringing that to my attention! Thanks for reading and please enjoy this second installment of "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant," a Degrassi fanfiction.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi, nor do I own I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant.**

**Also, I don't have a beta reader, so please disregard any minor grammatical/punctuation errors. Thank you. **

* * *

RECAP:

_Eli leaned forward and couldn't control the gasp that escaped his mouth as he peered at the small baby in the crib._

"_No… No, no, no… Clare? Is this-no, it can't- I can't- Clare?"_

_He looked at her desperately and saw a look of both defeat and exhaustion on her tear-stained face. Her voice came out in a harsh whisper._

"_I really didn't know."_

Time stood eerily still as Clare's words resounded through the room. She stared at the crib, her facial expression nearly unreadable. She just glared at the pink object, swallowing deeply and furrowing her eyebrows as a few tears leaked out and stained her gown. "How did I not know?" She choked out and, giving into her panic, closed her eyes tightly. A familiar heaviness pulled at her chest as she realized that her life, once again, was flipped upside-down; only this time, it wasn't a flip that could be reversed, forgotten or pushed aside. This time, it was _a life;_ a life that she and Eli had created together, in a moment of utmost love and passion, back when life was simple, and when the two of them had a romance like none other. It was a life that she'd carried around, unbeknownst to her, for 8 entire months of her life.

The existence of a tiny little girl was in _her hands_, and she was unquestionably unprepared in every aspect: physically, emotional and fiscally.

She felt a panic attack creeping upon her body, tensing all of her muscles, constricting her lungs and threatening to push her further over the edge. "M-mom." She stuttered out, reaching over for her mother's hand and taking in deep, labored breaths. It didn't help her emotionally that Eli was also in the room, realizing the gravity of their situation and coming to terms with the fact that he was now a father. His and the baby's presence were suffocating her, and suddenly, the room seemed to have no air left for her. Her breathing came out in small, shaky puffs and her lips began to tingle from the lack of oxygen. The people in the room were distorted to her, and the intense anxiety escalated as she noticed the blurs of people rushing around quickly. Blurs faded to black dots and just as she began to swim out of consciousness, a mask was pulled over her nose and mouth, and the gentle voice of a nurse was telling her to relax.

After taking greedily from the oxygen mask, she felt her body relax and, with much effort, opened her eyes to the world once again. Her blue orbs were greeted by seven worried faces, trained on her shuddering form and sallow skin. She began to sob again, sinking into the bed sheets and suffering in the thick silence of the room.

Eli couldn't seem to regain basic functioning. His lips wouldn't move to tell her that it would be okay, his legs wouldn't move to comfort her, his eyes wouldn't release the tears that wanted to fall at the sight of her pain, and his throat felt permanently closed by the appearance of the little girl. He simply watched as her composure unraveled before his eyes. Her sobs, her panic and her complete lack of control were a horrifying sight. Clare Edwards was never the type to be caught off-guard. She was never lost, and she always tried to make the best of every situation. The Clare in front of him was a version of herself that she didn't often let people see. For a moment, he felt like he'd been transported back in time, to the period of "intern Clare," the girl who couldn't seem to calm herself down for even a second, who panicked over in the most minor of spelling errors, and who seemed to take every set-back as the end of her life. Or the "divorce Clare," who tried her hardest to keep her parents together, who wept at every unraveling strand of her parent's love, and who eventually had to come to terms with the fact that her happy family was never going to be the same. The situations were all so different, but the way Clare handled them was almost the same.

She'd been broken after the divorce, broken after the internship, broken after Eli cheated on her, and completely shattered after the painful birth of their child.

Eli heart ached with every tear fallen from her blue eyes and every disbelieving gasp that escaped her plump pink lips. She was so broken, and he couldn't fix her.

He could only break her even more.

He forced his eyes away from the tortured young woman, and walked hesitantly over to the crib, each step feeling as if he'd endured miles on his feet in a short amount of time. He studied the blanket first; almost too afraid to look directly at the baby, as if that would make her more or less real. He eyed the patterned pink blanket, stitched with a pretty, floral printed material and wrapped delicately around the child. He inspected the small white socks that adorned her tiny feet, contemplating the material that they consisted up, but too terrified to reach out and feel them. His eyes traveled slowly up, postponing the inevitable, until he could finally see the supple, pink skin of the baby's chin.

He lifted his glance and finally got a good look at the petite person who occupied the cradle. A choked gasp escaped his lips as he appreciated her innocent beauty, the adorable head of dark hair that curled delicately all over her miniature head, the light wrinkles that littered her skin, and the compactness of her. He didn't think she could be over 5 or 6 pounds. She was the smallest baby that he'd ever seen, and she looked just like baby-doll, keeping completely still, unaware of how astronomically she shook up her parent's lives. For a moment, Eli forgot that anyone else was in the room. He could only keep his eyes fixed on his baby girl, and appreciate how lovely she was.

"Can I hold her?" He whispered, so quietly that he wasn't sure that the nurse heard his request. He glanced up at Clare and noticed that her eyes were glossed over, and she didn't seem to notice what was going on around her. He was worried, and desperate to comfort her, but he knew that she wouldn't want him near her.

He needed to hold the angelic little girl in his arms and truly meet her for the first time. Later, he would worry about Clare, face the hateful looks and lectures from her family, explain to his parents everything that happened, and figure out what he what they were going to do. Now, he just wanted to hold her, and to love every bit of her for the rest of his life. He couldn't explain the attachment that he felt to her after one glance, but it was stronger than any other love he'd ever experienced. He felt the urgency to protect her, to make her smile, to watch her grow and to witness the milestones in her life.

"Are you the father?" The nurse asked him, lifting the bundle from the crib and waiting for his response.

"Y-yes. She's mine."

The nurse crossed over to him and handed the baby over delicately. She lowered her voice so that only Eli could hear, and whispered, "Your girlfriend hasn't looked at her baby, not even for a moment. Maybe you could help her come to terms with this situation. It's important for mother and child to bond… Unless you are leaning toward adoption, then she may not want to become attached."

Eli was too lost in the feeling of his little girl in his arms to focus much on the nurse's words. When he heard "adoption," he shook his head quickly, not taking his attention away from the child for even a moment. "No. I don't want to give her up." He lifted the baby up a bit and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. He didn't even realize he was crying until he felt the warm tears rolling down his cheeks and smearing on his neck. "I love her."

He looked up and noticed Clare's mother peering at him from across the room. He expected some sort of hateful backlash from her, a lecture or a slap of the cheek. He expected her to yell at him for everything he'd done wrong, and tell him that he didn't deserve to keep the baby, that he didn't deserve to even be in her life. Instead, he noticed tears dripping down her wrinkled cheeks, and a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She stood up from the bed and walked over to him quietly. He swallowed deeply from the terror of being face-to-face with a woman whose daughter he'd broken, yet kept his head held up high as he met her tearful gaze with one of his own.

"I should _hate_ you, Eli." She murmured, admiring the baby as she addressed the boy who held her. "I should hate you for sleeping with my daughter. I should hate you for hurting her. I should hate you for getting her pregnant… There are so many things that I should hate you for, but this is no time or place for hatred. This baby should be surrounded by love… And as much as you screwed up, I still love you like the troublemaking son that I never had, or wanted." She chuckled dryly and stared at Eli once more. "Raising kids isn't easy, you know. But Glen and I will support you both every step of the way. Just… don't screw this up again, Eli. You have a family to take care of now."

Eli's jaw dropped open at the sentiment, and all he could do was nod at the woman and offer a quiet, "thank you."

Helen pulled him in for a tender hug and planted a motherly peck on his temple. "Next time," she whispered in his ear, "please use the proper means of protection when you are getting intimate with my daughter. One grandchild is enough for now, and you both need to get through college."

Eli practically choked at her words and felt his face flood with heat. Helen smiled lightly at his flustered reaction and walked back over to the bed, acting as if the conversation had never happened. She wrapped her arms affectionately around Clare and let the young girl's curly head rest on her shoulder. "She's a beautiful baby, Clare. Don't you want to meet her?"

Clare didn't respond. She was nearly catatonic, save for the occasional blink or gasp. Eli moved slowly toward her, careful not to jostle the baby too much in the process, and sat down next to her on the lumpy bed. The closeness was torturous to him; he was so close to her, close enough to hold her, to comfort her, but he could do no such thing. Instead, he leaned the little girl back a bit, so that her face was exposed to Clare's line of vision. He noticed Clare grow rigid as her eyes finally locked on the baby in front of her. For almost a minute, Clare stared at the baby without reacting. And as if on cue, the tears started again. She lifted her hand up to her mouth to suppress the sobs as she looked at the child.

"This is _our_ baby, Clare. She's all ours. Me and you." Eli said, in awe of the words as he spoke them. He glimpsed at the baby, and back to the sobbing girl whom he hadn't spoken to in over two months. He hoped that he could get her to open up and talk to him about the baby. He wanted the situation to be easier on her, but he knew that she would need coaxing out of her crying spell in order to come to terms with their new addition. "She looks just like you, Clare. Absolutely perfect… What should we name our little miracle baby? Any ideas?"

He was excited, but didn't want to come across as pushy, in case she wasn't ready to pick out names. He peered at her hopefully, his brows raised up in eagerness and his lips turned into a smile, instead of the smirk he usually flaunted. He still held on to the unnamed baby, who was fast asleep in his arms.

After a moment of brief silence, Clare looked straight up at Eli and met his stare with a piercing glare of her own. She wiped the tears off of her cheeks and, with great finality, responded to his question.

"I don't_ want_ this baby, and I don't _want _you."

* * *

**A/N I sincerely hope that didn't suck too much. I wrote this on no sleep, so it's probably not my best work. For anyone who thought that Helen was OOC, I purposely made her more accepting and understanding to this situation. I believe that she would stand by Clare during such a scary time, instead of lecturing and making the situation worse. That is just my opinion, though. Thank you for reading, and I would absolutely love it if you left a piece of feedback, whether it is a favorite, a follow or a nice little review to brighten up my day. And if you do leave a review, be sure to tell me what your favorite Eclare moment of Season 12 is so far. We can discuss. Thanks again!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Thank you ridiculously much to everyone who reviewed, subscribed and favorited the last chapter! I'm so motivated to update, and each review motivated me more. This chapter is a bit slow, but everything speeds up in the next installment, so please bear with me. Thanks again and enjoy with (slow) 3****rd**** chapter of I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, really. **

When the weight of her startling statement finally registered in Eli's mind, after a few moments of silent shock and processing, he couldn't help but stare at his ex-girlfriend like she'd suddenly grown an extra head. He understood completely why she was writing _him _off, but the Clare Edwards that Eli knew and loved would never denounce an innocent baby, especially one to whom she'd given life. It was uncharacteristic of her, even in such a startling situation, to act like a child's well-being was no concern of hers.

Clare used to tell him that she was "born" to be a mother; it was one of her many wishes in life. She could picture herself with 4 or 5 children, a large home, play-sets in the backyard and toys littered along the carpet. They'd even talked about what they would name _their_ kids, if they ended up settling down together. Clare _loved _kids. So even though she was only 18, and just about to graduate high school, even though she hadn't known about the baby growing in her, _and_ she was estranged with the father... Even though the odds were against them, the little girl was still there; she was alive and she wasn't a "mistake" that could simply be undone or forgotten.She was a representation of the intimate unity that they shared; a small Eli and Clare combined. The child was made out of love, and she deserved to be nurtured and surrounded by people who could love her to the fullest extent.

Eli knew that Clare could be a great mother, and he believed that, deep down, she wanted to raise their child as much as he did. He refused to believe that Clare wasn't itching to reach out and take her daughter into her arms, to enjoy the smoothness of her newborn skin, and appreciate the wonderful features of the petite child. Not only did Clare love kids, but she was a sucker for babies, and everyone around her knew it. It was only a matter of time before she caved in and snatched the ball of pink from her ex, cuddled the tiny thing until the nurses took her away, and fell in love with her firstborn daughter with every piece of her heart.

Eli just needed to work on her; he would have to coerce Clare into at least _touching_ the baby. The mother/child bond should take care of the rest, he assumed.

Reading Clare's body language had always been one of Eli's talents. The smallest gestures, such as the biting of a fingernail or the twirling of an auburn curl, were often triggered by an abundance of unspoken and unresolved feelings. Eli was the keeper of the key to discovering Clare's inner thoughts through her outer actions, and he used his abilities to discern her true feelings in the hospital room. He noted the cold, empty look in her eyes as she averted her gaze away from the precious girl in front of her. Clare couldn't seem wrap her head around the concept that _her_ offspring was so close to her, so tangible, so _real. _She was using avoidance in order to stay in a state of denial, something she often did after her sexual harassment incident, and it was starting to really worry Eli. How long could she pretend like her daughter wasn't her responsibility? How long could she push away reality before it came crashing down around her?

"Clare," Eli whispered after a long silence, "I don't think you mean that. I think you love her, and it scares the shit out of you." He readjusted the bundle in his grasp and moved her a bit closer to Clare. Eli noticed Clare's eyes peek downward for a brief moment, and her cold expression melt a bit at the sight.  
"I know that you're scared because you weren't prepared for this to happen, but our families will help us figure this out. That doesn't mean that we can't love her all the while." He moved the girl closer to his own chest and leaned down, placing a light kiss on her tiny nose. "It doesn't take 9 months of preparation to love your child… We can do this. We have to do this. She needs us." He finished his brief speech and stared at her expectantly, his heart racing with anticipation for some sort of breakthrough.

Instead, Clare chuckled dryly at him and crossed her arms in defiance. " We? Us?" She laughed, taking sadistic joy in the slightly confused look on her ex-boyfriend's face. "There is no "us", Eli. There's me, the girl who is too stupid to even notice a baby growing in her. And there's you, the two-timing asshole who thinks holding a baby for 10 minutes makes him a father." She delighted in the look of shock on his face and continued, hoping that each verbal dagger would stab him deeper in the heart. "Do you really think that raising a baby will fix everything? Do you think that being thrown back into my life will make me forgive you?" At that point in the conversation, the Martin boys filed out of the room, in order to avoid witnessing the awkward conflict that was surely going to take place.

"I'm not asking for your forgiveness, Clare! I'm asking that you put aside your petty grudge for a few minutes so we can talk about our baby!" Eli screamed back, automatically regretting his volume and tone. He expected her to cry again, or to cower away, but she remained stoically still and pissed-off.

"Petty? I hardly call being cheated on, petty, Eli. If I'd cheated on you, you probably would have driven your car into a wall!"

Eli's jaw dropped at her statement and she shook his head in disbelief. They stare at each other for a moment, their eyes clashing dangerously as Clare tried to regain her breath and Eli tried to control the hot, flashing anger that clouded his every sense.

Before another word could be uttered between them, a shrill cry sounded throughout the room. They both stared at the baby in shock, having almost forgotten that she was still sleeping in Eli's arms. Her wails grew in fury as Eli rocked her gently, drawing a completely blank on methods of baby care. A nurse walked over and took the little girl, checking her diaper while the dumbfounded parents just observed. "No poopies in there. It looks like we've got a hungry baby, here. Momma, would you like to feed her, or would you like her to have formula?"

Clare looked taken aback by the question and shook her head. "I don't want to feed her."

"Sweetheart, breast milk is better for the baby. Don't you want her to be healthy?" Helen coerced sweetly, hoping that Clare would cave in and finally meet her little girl. "Even if you want to go through with adoption, feeding her once won't hurt. In fact, the first time is the most important for the baby to get nutrients."

Clare looked slightly convinced, but shook her head again, softer and less final, as she looked toward the window. "No." She whispered, seemingly battling the options with herself.

"Clare," Helen lowered her voice, "I know this isn't your fault, but you owe it to your child to feed her, at least this once. She's underweight because you didn't get the proper nutrition while you were pregnant. I know you're scared, but please, sweetie, just feed the baby."

Clare continued to stare out the window, blocking out the sounds of the crying baby while she fought back tears. She clenched her teeth and glared at her mother, rasping out, "I hate you" before pointing toward the door. "I'll feed her. But I want everyone to get out." She half-yelled, half-sobbed. Helen nodded tearfully and motioned for Eli to follow. He felt a thick heaviness in his chest at the thought of leaving, but he obliged and followed her out of the room. He would do anything to get Clare to bond with the baby.

As the door closed, the nurse brought the little girl over to Clare and sat on the bed with her. She lifted the baby up and handed her over to the shaking teen, making sure that Clare was holding her properly before letting go. She instructed Clare briefly on how to feed the child, and then turned away to give the mother and daughter some privacy.

The second that Clare felt the baby in her arms, she choked back an emotion-filled sob. She finally understood what people meant by "motherly instincts," as she cradled the small baby in her arms. She felt her "ice-queen" exterior melting, and all she wanted to do was be a mom to the tiny newborn.

She didn't need to be anything but a mom.

She followed the instructions of the nurse and lifted her gown. With shaking hands, she guided her swollen breast to the baby's mouth and felt the child latch on, and begin to suckle. The feeling was unpleasant and painful, but the closeness that she felt with her daughter was undeniable. She knew that she would never be able to give the little girl up, and the realization was so terrifying to her.

Nothing in her world was certain anymore. Her future was up in the air, university was iffy, whatever she had with Eli was a complete mess, and everything seemed so scary and unfamiliar. The only thing of which she was certain was the love that she had for the little girl in her arms.

**A/N Now that I'm satisfied in the developmental aspect of the Eclare parenthood, let the story begin! If you are so inclined, please leave a bit of feedback, or click the favorite/follow buttons. It would make me smile. Thank you so much and I hoped you enjoy this chapter! And once again, I'm sorry if it was a bit slow and wordy. Next chapter will have more action and dialogue. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N I'm sorry that it has taken me so long to update this. I've been working quite a bit, and sleeping when I'm at home. It feels amazing to sit at this computer and pour my words out once again! Thank you, thank you, and thank you to everyone who gave feedback last chapter! It was so exciting every time I got a review/favorite/follow. I've noticed that some authors will respond to their reviews in their author's notes, so I've decided that I will do that from now on. **

** .queen: ****I'm so glad you are obsessed. I'm glad I had you in a bit of suspense with Clare's denial. I almost didn't know if I was going to have her accept the baby, but I'm a sucker for Clare Edwards and babies. Thanks so much!**

**RRsabi: ****Whenever you review my stories, I flip out. Not in a bad way, of course, but I absolutely love your writing. Shut It Down was the best thing ever. Seriously. You are amazing and thank you SO much for reading and reviewing.**

**Sophiainterrupted: ****If you really cried, that would make me strangely happy. Not because you are sad, but that I'm correctly portraying emotions to my readers. Lol Thank you for the sweet compliments and the feedback. *smiley face***

**Degrassiluver15: ****I'm glad you're still reading! Thank you for the consistent feedback and encouragement! **

**Littlemissartsi: ****Well, I love love love love love you for reviewing. Haha Thank you!**

**xLebeaux: ****It makes me so happy that you liked the flow of emotions. That is always one of my concerns, that I'm missing out on important emotional context that could improve my writing. Thank you for the review and I hope you keep reading!**

** : ****Ah! Thank you so much for reviewing. I'm reading all three of your stories, and I must say that I'm addicted to them! **

**The Cliffhanger Girl: ****I'm so glad you like the story and my writing style! It's an honor to have you comment on one of my works. You are quite legendary on here! Thanks so much for the review!**

Helen sat across from Clare's hospital room door, panicking about a crib, car-seats, bassinets and baby clothes as Eli paced back in forth, mustering up the courage to contact his parents. The silence between them was peppered heavily with trepidation, but remained comfortable, as they knew that words would not change their situation, ease their fear, or calm their reservations about the baby. In fact, words could only increase their agitation, and it was neither the time nor the place for more angst.

After a few minutes, Eli walked over to the older woman and took a nervous breath, disturbing the silence for the first time. "M-may I please use your phone? I need to call my parents. They don't even know that I'm back in town, let alone…" He looked away from her and swallowed back the nervous vomit that was inching its way up his throat. "Oh God." He plopped down next to her and buried his face in his palms. "I actually have to tell my parents that I have a _daughter._ Shit- uh, I mean, uh, poop. I'm sorry… I should stop talking…" He muttered, rubbing his face roughly and burrowing deeper into the darkness of his hands.

Helen put a hand on his back in a comforting gesture, wanting to soothe the young man before he spiraled into a disquieted mess, "Your sailor's mouth is the least of my worries right now." She handed him the phone and tilted Eli's chin up with her hand, forcing his worried eyes to meet with her own. "We're going to get through this, as a _family_."

Eli nodded gratefully and wiped his clammy fingers on his jeans before taking the phone from her grasp. He dialed his mother's number and held the phone shakily up to his ear, gnawing nervously on his lip with every torturous ring. When he heard a boisterous "hello" on the other end, an unpleasant, acidic feeling rose up in his stomach, and he felt as if consciousness was no longer an option.

"Bullfrog," He stuttered, closing his eyes briefly and sending a quick plea to some higher power that his parents would not banish him from the family. "It-it's Eli… I need you and CeCe at the hospital. Don't worry, I'm not hurt. Please just come, okay?"

* * *

Jake sat in the cafeteria of Toronto General Hospital, with Katie at his right side, and his father on the left. A tray of cheese pizza lay neglected at the center of the table, a puddle of grease pooling in the middle of the pie and hardening. Katie stared at the gooey mess as if it was the most interesting thing she'd ever seen. She eyed each river of grease as it flowed steadily across valleys of cheese, and eventually dropped off into a lake of odorous lard. She grimaced as a fly landed on the pie and proceeded to lay eggs on their ignored meal.

She tore her eyes from the food and looked at Jake. He hadn't said much since they arrived at the hospital and _his_ silence in particular was starting to worry her. Jake glanced up and gave her a small smile, as if reading her thoughts and wanting to placate her concern.

"So…" Jake drawled, desperate to rip apart the heavy silence around him. "Clare and Eli had sex. That's weird, right?

Both Katie and Glen's heads shot up, and looks of incredulity and horror adorned their once-blank faces. Jake palmed his forehead in embarrassment and went back to his state of silent observation. He reached forward and grasped onto a slice of pizza, and brought it up to his mouth. In seconds, Katie's tiny hand was wrapped around his wrist and his slice of grease was top-down on the dusty, hospital floor.

"I love you too much to watch you eat that crap." Katie explained as she picked up the pizza from the floor with a napkin and tossed it into a nearby trashcan. "We're going to get food somewhere else."

"But Cla-"

"She'll be fine." Katie interrupted. "She needs to rest. And_ we_ need some real food." She stood up from her chair and pulled Jake up after her. "We'll come right back here and you can make more awkward remarks about your sister's sex life, okay?"

Jake glowered at his girlfriend as she pulled him through the front doors of the hospital. As he stepped out into the fresh air, he noticed a familiar head of black hair nearby, pacing the pavement manically like he was contemplating world domination. As much as Jake wanted to kill the shorter man for cheating on his baby sister, he wasn't looking to make Clare's life more stressful. Beating the life out of her baby's father would probably be counter-productive, he thought.

Instead, he pulled Katie over in Eli's direction and stopped a few feet from the pacing boy. "Dude, what are you doing?"

Eli looked up from his frenzy and made brief eye-contact with his old friend. His eyes were filled with animalistic fear, and a few thick tears were rolling down his tan cheeks. "Waiting for my parents." He croaked.

Katie and Jake gave him a nod of understanding before backing away from him. At that moment, a familiar black car pulled up next to them, and Jake felt his stomach lurch with anxiety for the dark-haired boy. He couldn't imagine how Eli would tell his parent's about the baby.

"We should go." Katie whispered to Jake, pulling him back further to allow the Goldsworthy's a bit of privacy.

Jake reached out and squeezed Eli's shoulder lightly before uttering a quiet, "Good luck."

* * *

Bullfrog and CeCe walked silently behind Eli, occasionally shooting each other confused looks and making failed attempts at communication with their son. As their trek through the sterilized hallways grew, their concern for Eli's mental health did the same. His hands were visibly trembling, and he was clearly preoccupied with something that was heavy beyond his years. His demeanor screamed "manic," and his parents wanted nothing more than to grab him, smack him out of his strange trance and learn about why they were called to the hospital in the first place.

Instead, they let him continue with his hyper march and followed close behind, ready to halt him if necessary.

When Eli stopped suddenly, his black sneakers leaving a smear of dark residue on the white tile, he turned around and made eye-contact with his mother for the first time. The look of unease in his eyes was obviously through the heavy tears pooling in his lids. "You love me, don't you, mom?" He questioned her weakly, averting his gaze in shame, like a little boy receiving punishment for smacking the dog. "Promise that you won't hate me?" Tears plunged down his tan cheeks and showered his quivering lips with saltiness.

"Eli," CeCe began, gripping his son's quivering hand in her own, "Baby, nothing in this world could make me hate you. You _know_ that. We love you more than anything!" She grabbed his cheeks and planted a wet kiss on his damp forehead. "Now, stop this silliness and tell me why we are at the hospital. The suspense is killing me." She chuckled ironically and looked around them, hoping for some clue as to Eli's upset.

"Son, you heard your mother. Tell us who you put in the hospital." Bullfrog joked, hoping to lighten the thick air of tension around them. The look of shock in Eli's feature indicated that he's failed at doing so.

Eli looked back and forth between his parents while he battled against waves of dread in his stomach.

"Walk into that room." He rasped, as he pointed at their destination. He backed away from them and to a wall, sinking to the ground and away from the two people in the world that loved him more than anything. He was letting them down so much, he knew. It hurt him to worry them. It hurt him to disappoint them.

"Just open that door and you'll understand."

Bullfrog was almost positive that Eli had hit someone with his car. His son didn't have the best driving record, he was in a rush to get home, and he was tired. Those three factors combined could create a deadly situation on the road, Bullfrog thought, as he brainstormed a few lawyers he could call to help Eli.

CeCe didn't know what to expect. She assumed that Eli was just overreacting, that he was trying to give them a good scare, or maybe even pull some kind of elaborate prank. Maybe it's all just one of Eli's grand schemes, she thought, as she turned the doorknob and ventured into the room.

Neither of the Goldsworthy's expected to see Clare Edwards in the hospital bed, holding an infant, rocking the child delicately, humming a sweet tune quietly, as her mother sat by and watched. Never did they ever expect to see that, or anything even remotely similar to it.

At first, they were confused. Why was Eli so upset that Clare had a baby? They'd broken up a few months back. Why did Eli-

Oh…

They both turned and looked back at their boy, who was sunken so far into himself that it seemed he couldn't get out.

"Eli?" CeCe called to him, inching her way over to the shaking boy. "Is that… Eli, is that your baby?"

The slight nodding of his head said enough.

"Oh my God." Bullfrog muttered, before sinking down next to Eli and pulling his son into an embrace. Eli stiffened for a moment, and then melted into his dad's rough hug. CeCe sat down on the opposite side of Eli, and wrapped her arms around his heaving shoulders.

"S-s-she didn't even k-know about the b-baby." Eli slurred, "And I just made everything w-worse. I cheated on her and I ruined our future! N-Now our little girl has to suffer for m-my mistakes. I ruined everything. Please, don't hate me. I need you not to hate me." He sobbed into Bullfrog's shirt.

"Eli, son, look at me." Bullfrog instructed firmly, but with the softest tone he could muster. "You could make a thousand babies, and we would still love you, kid. You could cheat on a thousand chicks, and I'd be disappointed, but you'd still be my kid, and I'd still love you. Just calm down and take a few breaths. CeCe brought your pills. Take one."

Eli lifted his head up and nodded, moving to stand up from his stupor. He let CeCe drop a pill onto his hand, and glanced down at the floor timidly, once again avoiding any sort of eye contact with his parents. He threw the pill into his dry mouth and swallowed harshly, tasting the bitter, burning residue on his tongue as it scratched its way down into his empty stomach.

Suddenly, he was engulfed in another hug. This time, the strong, maternal, vice-like arms of CeCe were girded around his neck, sucking the air from his body before he could comprehend her actions.

"Eli," CeCe whispered in his ear, only loudly enough for him to catch, "we are going to get through this, I promise. There are ways of righting our wrongs, you know. There are ways of earning forgiveness, especially when kids are involved. You didn't ruin everything, baby. You just made the road a bit rockier, that's all. There is still hope for you, Clare and this baby to be a happy family. Let's just take it one day at a time, okay?" She looked at Eli with teary eyes and noted that his tears had far from subsided. In fact, the pace and frequency increased, and the non-stop flow of tears were drenching every inch of his neck and collar. "I'll tell you, I wasn't expecting a baby… But I'm happy that you didn't kill anyone."

Bullfrog chuckled at her statement, but Eli could hear the underlying relief in his father's laugh.

"That makes two of us." Bullfrog embellished, wiping a line of pseudo-perspiration from his brow. "Enough standing out here! Do we get to meet this newest Goldsworthy, or has Clarabelle banned our kind from her presence?"

CeCe smacked her husband on the arm and made her way toward the door. "Oh, we are meeting this baby! Clare wouldn't try to keep us away!" Without another word, CeCe inched the door open and snuck into the white room.

Bullfrog and Eli followed closely behind her, trying hard not to startle Clare or the baby from their peaceful position with their loud feet and naturally boisterous nature.

CeCe walked over to the bed, staring into Clare's eyes with a loving, genuine smile plastered on her face. She sat next to Clare on the bed, and peered down breathlessly at the bundle in the young woman's arms. Bullfrog and Eli elected to stay at the foot of the bed, allowing CeCe her moment with the baby before they swooped into the situation.

CeCe gasped and brought her hands up to her mouth, as fresh tears sprung forth and spilled down her cheeks. "S-she's beautiful, Clare. My God, she just the most beautiful little thing I've ever seen." CeCe whispered, overcome with emotion. Her heart felt swollen with love for the baby girl_, her_ little boy's baby, his firstborn child, her first grandchild. The emotions pulsing through her were more than overwhelming; they were all-consuming as she soaked in each feature of her granddaughter. "Bullfrog, come look at how great Clare and Eli are at making babies."

A chuckle resounded through the room, and Clare looked up at Eli, only to see that his eyes were peering into her face. He gave her a gentle smile, to let her know that he was happy, that he cared about her, and that he wasn't going anywhere. Clare blushed at CeCe's comment and smiled back at Eli, very faintly, but smiled none-the-less. Even that small gesture was momentous for Eli, and he held onto the smile long after it faded, for it gave him hope that maybe, just maybe, things between the two of them could be mended once again.

"So…" Bullfrog interjected, after a few moments of quietly contemplating the petite little girl swathed in pink, "what are we calling this one?"

Clare's eyes locked with Eli's once again and she couldn't help but feel flushed by the look of pure love and dedication in his gaze. Despite the distance, and the terrible situation that Eli had thrown her into, she still felt more attached to him than she cared to admit. With a child between them, that attachment only grew, though she fought against it, tooth and nail.

"We haven't quite discussed names… or anything really." She lowered her voice on the last three words, giving away her worries and apprehensions through her tone. "Names would probably be the best place to start." She looked up at Eli, hoping to see agreement. He nodded at her and moved a bit closer, taking his rightful place next to his daughter and her mother. "Could you give us a bit of privacy, please?" Clare looked around at the parents in the room, and hoped that they would protest too much. Without a word of indignation, CeCe, Helen and Bullfrog filed out, leaving the new parents alone for the first time.

Eli moved even closer to Clare, not wanting to set her off, but not wanting to be far away from their daughter. "M-May I sit next to you?" His voice came out less confident than he's hoped, but he pushed his nerves back and hoped for the best.

"Sure." She said softly, scooting over a bit to make room for him. He softly lowered himself onto the sheets, and tensed up as his leg accident caressed Clare's.

"Sorry, I-"

"Not a big deal." She cut him off, smiling awkwardly as she shifted the baby in her arms. Clare looked down at the softly sleeping child and smirked, in awe of the baby's perfection. "I really didn't expect my Saturday to turn out like this."

Eli snorted and shook his head in agreement. "Yeah, God sure knows how to keep our lives interesting."

Clare squinted at him in confusion and repeated, "God? Did _the_ Eli Goldsworthy just refer to God as a higher power, and not a story character whose authenticity is comparable to that of Humpty Dumpty? Perhaps giving birth wasn't the most shocking thing to happen to me today." She joked, falling comfortably back into the playful banter of her relationship with Eli.

"I spent a very long car ride, uh, praying and stuff." He shifted uncomfortably and looked up into Clare's waiting eyes. "By the way Jake made it sound on the phone, you were d-dying or at least extremely sick. My phone ran out of power, and I had no way of contacting anyone, so I just drove as fast as I could, and prayed that God would save you. Then, I got here and you know the rest… You're alive, and she's healthy, even though the odds were against her. If that isn't a miracle, if that isn't something from God, then I honestly don't know what is."

"Wow… That really almost _was _more shocking than giving birth... You never cease to surprise me, Eli."

Eli smiled at her a bit and cleared his throat, "Speaking of t-that… How was that? You know, the whole "having a baby" thing." When he was done speaking, he realized how incredibly awkward he sounded.

"It was the scariest time of my life." Clare said slowly, trying to keep her emotions in check in front of her ex. "One moment I was fine, the next I was having terrible pains in my back. By terrible, I mean the worst pain I've ever experience. Jake drove me to the hospital, and I was convinced that I was going to die. I never imagined surviving such intense pain. When we got here, the first question they asked me was, 'Are you pregnant?' and Jake started yelling at the nurses, telling them to save me and stop asking stupid questions. That part was kind of funny, in retrospect." Clare cleared the tears off of her cheeks with the back of her hand and handed the baby over to Eli. "Want to hold her? My arms hurt."

Eli grabbed her gently and felt warmth bubbling up in him again at the feeling of holding his little girl close. "Tell me the rest of the story, Clare?" He asked softly, wanting to know what happened, and wanting to feel as if he was present for the significant event.

"Okay." She moved down a bit in her bed, so that her head was resting on the fluffy pillow, and turned to watch Eli and their daughter. "They did a pelvic exam, and told me that I was going into labor."

_FLASHBACK_

"_Ms. Edwards, you are 9 centimeters dilated, okay? When you get to ten, you're going to have to push."_

"_I'm-not-pregnant!" She screamed through the pain, wanting to strangle every single doctor and nurse who crossed her path with their ignorant ideas that she was having a baby. "I'm not going to push anything, because I'm not pregnant!"_

"_Clare, listen to me," Jake said, holding tightly to his sister's hand. "Helen is on her way, and she'll set these idiots straight, okay? Just hold on, and everything will be okay."_

"_Jake, it hurts so bad. Oh God!" She screeched in pain and the doctor ran back in. _

"_Ma'am, I need to do another exam, okay? Please, for your safety, let me do another exam." _

_Clare nodded frantically, hoping that more exams would find the source of her agony, so they could fix her, and she could go home. They were obviously just jumping to stupid conclusions at the pregnancy diagnosis. Clare couldn't believe the nerve of some people._

"_Clare, you are dilated to 10. It's time to push." _

_Nurses surrounded her and she began to sob. "No, no, I'm not pregnant. Stop, leave me alone! Get away from me! Don't touch me!"_

"_At your next contraction, push, Clare. Keep breathing, and push. It'll make the pain go away."_

_When another wave of excruciating pain attacked her body, she took their advice and pushed._

"_You're doing great, Clare! The head is out!"_

"Jake fainted, which would have been hilarious in any other situation. And, eventually, after pushing until my body seemed to give up, she was born. I was in terrible denial, and didn't want anything to do with her. It was…" She pondered the right word for the situation, though it was hard to summarize such a tumultuous moment in her life. "surreal. I keep thinking that I'm going to wake up soon, and this will all have been a crazy nightmare induced from all of the peppers I ate last night."

"Peppers? You hate peppers."

"I know, but I developed a liking for peppers. It was probably another sign that I ignored, like peeing all of the time, and my mood swings. Looking back, it wasn't the most obvious thing, but I should have realized that something was different with my body. I should have realized that it wasn't just stress weight I was gaining, but baby weight. I should have realized that my periods were non-existent, but I was too wrapped up in college prep and school and therapy to take notice."

Eli took in a sharp breath at the mention of therapy, and wanted to press for more details, but held his tongue, hoping she would bring it up again on her own. Clare had 3-months of court appointed therapy after she was sexually harassed; it was assigned to her after her mentor received a guilty verdict, to help her come to terms with everything that had transpired with her failed internship, and the traumatic trial that followed.

Eli had heard nothing from Adam about Clare going back to therapy in the two months since they broke up, and he assumed that it was withheld from Adam by Clare, or from him by Adam, to keep him from worrying about her more than he already did. Therapy was no joking matter, and he was almost certain that her return had something to do with their break-up and his transgressions.

"It probably didn't help much that you were under so much stress…" Eli said quietly, and she understood his double-meaning without much contemplation.

"That's very true." She whispered back, wanting to change the topic away from such dangerous territory. The last thing she wanted to do at that moment was discuss their failed relationship. It was a conversation for a much, much later date, and one that would need to take place when their daughter was somewhere away from them, and not caught in-between the dramatic confrontation. "So, baby names? Gosh, I didn't think I'd need to discuss baby names for at least ten more years."

"Twenty, at least." Eli joked, as he stared down at the angel in his hold. He felt his heart swell with more emotion and he looked away from the beauty, trying not to let himself be overcome. "My mom is right. We really are great at making these. She's the cutest thing I've ever seen."

"I agree, though maybe it's because she's ours."

"No, no, she's perfect." Eli argued, refusing to hear that anyone may think that his baby girl is less than heaven on earth. "She is lovely, wondrous, perfect and every other adjective in the book."

"I know." Clare smiled and reached her finger out to touch the infant. "Mirabelle."

Eli looked at her, confused for a moment by the random name. "Mirabelle?"

"It's French. It means 'lovely.'" Clare explained. She mouthed the name again, trying it out, as she watched the infant's chest rise, then fall.

"It's perfect. Mirabelle Helen Cecelia Goldsworthy… she'll be the last kid to spell her name in Kindergarten." Eli laughed, saying the name in his head, over and over again, loving it more each time.

"You remember about the middle names." Clare grinned at him, impressed with his attention to details that she'd shared with him over a year before.

"There are some things that you never forget." Eli said quickly, and wished he could take it back immediately. He looked at Clare, and noticed how her face had fallen sadly.

"You're right. There are some things that you _never_ forget." she sighed.

In silence, they sat next to each other, Eli holding the baby in his arms, and Clare admiring her. Despite the closeness of their forms, the words they'd spoken created a valley between them, a seemingly endless cavern that would continue to drive them apart, forever keeping them away from happiness. The worst part was that the baby was in the middle, unknowingly stuck between the two most important people in her life, as an elephant resided in the room, threatening to destroy what little stability was left.

**A/N Goodness me! That chapter was really long! Well, did anybody like it? They finally named the kid and they are talking, so I'm happy with how this turned out. I would really, really love to get 10 reviews on this chapter! I know that it's a lot, but I like to have high hopes. So… Please read and review if you would! And, happy Labor day!**


End file.
